Terriers originated on the British Isles and were a product of man’s evolving needs. Compared to hounds, terriers are a relatively new type of dog. The original purpose of almost all of the early terriers was to control pests such as vermin and foxes. Specimens with high prey drives and tenacity were favored by those that used them for work. The term ‘terrier’ is derived from the Latin ‘terra’ which means ground – this is a reference to the work of the terrier, which would ‘go to ground’ chasing its quarry. Some of the most popular terriers around the world today include the Border Terrier, West Highland White Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier. Nowadays, there are many breeds that are considered to be terriers, but that are not part of the original terrier group. For example, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which has a common ancestry with many terriers, is descended from terriers and bull breeds. Bull Terriers were created when fighting dogs and terriers were crossed in order to give the larger bull breeds more courage and gameness. Since then, the breeds have developed into popular pets as well. Terriers as we know them today are descended from European hunting breeds. The terrier type became established during the early 1800s, around which time there were two types of terrier. One with long legs and one with short legs. Terriers are typified by their formidable courage and gameness. They are born with latent desires to chase prey and to tackle it. In the domestic environment, this instinct translates into playfulness, cheekiness and on occasion raises the need for a firm and dedicated trainer.The terrier was basically developed to be a digger. In order for them to do their job effectively and efficiently, there are slight variations in their bone structure.

The terrier front assembly has slightly different proportions than that of a dog bred for running like an Afghan. The basic structure remains the same. To many people, this means that the terrier should have an upright shoulder and a stilted gait. This idea may have come from the phrase “straight terrier front.” This does not mean that the dog has an upright shoulder but instead the dog has a shorter upper arm in relation to the shoulder blade. This allows for more leverage giving the terrier stronger digging power. The shoulder blade remains well laid back at a forty-five degree angle.

Terriers are broken down into two groups, long legged and short legged. Long legged terriers have straight front legs with feet that point forward. This is because long legged terriers push the dirt underneath their body and between their back legs. Short legged terriers, because of their short stature, cannot push the dirt underneath themselves or between their back legs. Therefore, they push the dirt to the side. In order to do this, their front feet should turn out slightly. A short legged terrier’s legs also differ in regards to the straightness of their legs. Although we style the front legs to appear straight for showing purposes, their legs are not perfectly straight. Also, unlike the long legged terriers, their elbows are not close to their body. This does that mean that they are out at the elbow, but it just means it is not snug to the body. The bodies on most short legged terriers are well sprung at the ribs but have a slight flat appearance. This simply means that the ribs taper inward after the widest part of their ribs and approximately where the elbows fall making the space between the elbow and the body. This confirmation allows room for proper movement when digging.

Now to turn this into a grooming lesson. Even though short legged terriers' feet should turn out, for presentation purposes, we trim them to appear they are facing forward. Make sure that the elbows are trimmed tight and there the space between the leg and the body is divided. The short legged terrier rears vary from a "curtain" of furnishings with the rear angulation exposed, to fullness in the rear in the Scottish Terrier. (See photo gallery)

For long legged terriers, the front legs should have parallel lines, also with tight elbows. Excess hair on the elbow is not very attractive. Since long legged terriers should be wider in the rear to allow the dirt to be pushed between their rear legs, the hair on the inside of the rear legs is significantly shorter than the hair on the outside of the rear legs. (See photo gallery)

To get the full look of leg furnishings, they must be worked frequently. For some breeds, weekly trimming is acceptable. Wire Fox Terriers tend to need more frequently. To trim furnishings, Bathe and dry the legs. Use a pin brush or a palm pad to brush, making the coat stand out from the legs. DO NOT use a force dryer to dry. It will blow the undercoat out that you want for that fullness and can also break the coat. Comb the hair straight out from the leg and pluck any hair that sticks out past your ideal line. Remember to pluck in the direction you want the new hair to grow. For those harsh coated terriers with very coarse texture, you will want to deep condition the hair to help prevent breakage.

What is rolling? Rolling a coat is basically building 3 layers of coat so that you can keep the dog's coat in an ideal state and the optimum length.

Remember the three stages of coat growth from my previous blog? Well here's where it comes into play. The 3 stages of Anagen, when the hair is growing, Catagen, when the hair begins to pull away from the root in the follicle and Telegen, when it's ready to be shed. That is what we are trying to achieve in rolling a coat. The first layer is the base coat which is young hair that has just broke through the skin. The second is the intercoat which is hair that is almost at the ideal length. The outer coat is the longer coat that is trimmed to present the ideal breed profile.

After staging the coat, there is only one layer of coat and we now need to begin rolling. To do this you need to EVENLY remove approximately one third of the coat. That will start a layer of the Anagen stage. About a week or so later, you will do this again. Now we should have the beginning of our 3 layers.

To touch back on technique, hair grows out of the skin at an angle, not straight out of the skin. It's important to pull the hair in the direction you wish it to grow. The ideal body coat should be flat and straight. Breeds like the Airedale, Wire Fox, Welsh terrier etc., you want leg hair to stand out so you will pull straight out from the leg. The same goes for heads like the Westie, Cairn and Australian Terrier. You will pull the head hair in the direction you want it to grow. Make sure you pull the hair straight out without twisting or bending your wrist, you could cut or break the hair.

If you have a lump in the coat instead of it being flat, which is very common in Airedales and Wires, you do not want to strip in the middle of the lump. This will cause a hole in the coat. Use your free hand to press down on the lump. This will life the ends of the hair that comprises the lump. Pull a few hairs at a time and check to see if the lump is going away. (See Gallery photos)

Before you start trimming, you will want to card out a majority of the undercoat in allow the harsh coat to lay flat. If you have an area that needs fill coat like a dip in the topline or a low tailset, only card out a little bit. The undercoat in these areas will help fill those areas. When bathing and drying the legs or heads on wire coated dogs, do not use a force dryer. They will blow out the undercoat that you need for fullness. Use a hand dryer along with a palm pad or a pin brush. After carding the back coat, you will want to pull a few hairs at a time, not a large clump of hair. If you remove clumps of hair, it will grow back in clumps. To help you get a grip on the hair, you can use a little chalk or ear powder. I tend to use ear powder when I need to take a dog down from a completely blown coat. It had resin in it which helps you get a grip. If I'm just trimming, I will use a little chalk.

STARTING TO HAND STRIP PUPPIES

As the puppies grow, their coats will start to grow a long wispy outer coat and a thicker base layer. This is when I start the stripping process. I just remove the longer wispy coat a little at a time and try to keep it as positive for the puppy as possible. After pulling, I will card a little once a week just to get the puppy used to being groomed.

Scott Wasserman

In
1992, Scott started a very successful pet styling contest ring career
and his winning began to take off. His most prestigious wins include
Best Pet Stylist in Show at the U.S. Pet Pro Classic twice and the
coveted Intergroom International Groomer of the Year award. Scott has
had a successful international judging and speaking tour having traveled
to England, Italy, Scotland, France, Argentina, Japan, China, Thailand,
Singapore, and Canada. He has received several nominations of the
Cardinal Crystal Achievement Awards, a grooming industry award for
recognizing the top individuals, for 3 nominations for Judge of the
Year, Groomer of the Year and Congeniality. Scott is a Certifier and
Consultant for the International Society of Canine Cosmetologists, one
of the toughest and most in-depth pet styling certification
organizations in the world. His love of dogs has continued in the AKC
show ring having groomed and/or shown several breeds through their
championships including Airedale Terriers, Norfolk Terriers, Wire Fox
Terriers, Cairns, Kerry Blue Terriers, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen,
Portuguese Water Dogs, Giant Schnauzers, Bedlington Terriers, Poodles,
French Bulldogs, Newfoundlands, Boxers, Basset Hounds, Dobermans, Bull
Terriers, Yorkies, Bichon Frise and Miniature Pinschers